The Russian Air Force found a use for its subsonic Su-25s in the offensive of the western front that it was engaged in. Russia has been engaged in an air war with Ukraine and has been getting the upper hand, ending in UAF losses.
Su-25s Mission on the Western Front
The Su-25 Grach ground attack aircraft is old by the Russian aerospace forces and has a strategic use; it will be part of a unit in the Western Military District, reports Bulgarian Military.
Planes assigned to the unit will be mostly these air support planes tasked with backing the assault of Moscow's ground offensive in Ukraine.
On January 13, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation decided to add more firepower to the Western strategic direction. Su-25 close air support will be used to demolish enemy structures in the battle zone, per Military Today. The Russian MoD made it clear that it plays a pivotal role.
Russia Amps Up Offensive
When the war started in Ukraine on February 24, 2022; wherein about 192 units of ground attack units were already included in the Russian Aerospace Forces [VKS].
The VKS has three variants and modifications: the basic, two-seater version UB and the BM, which is a target towing. One of these variants of the Grach also developed for carrier use is the UTG, but it has yet to come to pass as the only Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is not ready for duty, per Naval News.
No information is available on how many of these carrier-based variants exist.
More Widespread Use of the Su-25
The reasons for establishing the strategic attack aviation of the Russian Federation are essential for Moscow.
One comment Russian test pilot Igor Malikov told Russian media that the move is appropriate. It shows the Kremlin supports the ground units engaged in combat. He stated that the planes should be all over, but no new kind of close support aircraft to replace it is not in progress, but it is very useful.
Used to cover infantry in combat and sending it to the west is correct to support infantry maneuvers. The VKS used the ground attack plane in 2022 to support the special operation in Ukraine. But the plane has not gotten a good track record in the Ukrainian conflict; Moscow and Kyiv had lost similar planes on the battlefield.
It flies at lower altitudes for close air support (CAS), but man-portable ground-to-air missiles can shoot it down, the US supplied to Kyiv by the west. Such a vulnerability is a big question mark as to how sound it would be for the RuAF to consider such a move. That can lead to more planes of the type getting knocked out from the sky.
Russian MoD does not reveal how many of them will be used in the Western Military District, cites Global Security. The RuAF used its Su-25s to support the western front, emphasizing close air support of infantry and armor.
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